Shank piece



Aug. 12, 1952 BECKERMAN SHANK PIECE Filed June 14, 1951 lNVENTOR lauw eckef'mmz ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 12, I1952 SHANK PIECE Louis Beckerman, Auburn, Maine, assignor `to M.

Becker-man & Sons, Inc., Auburn, Maine, a corporation of Maine Application June 14, 1951, Serial No. 231,567

1 Claim. (Cl. 36-76) This invention relates to shoes; more particularly to sling type shoes, methods of producing the same and a tuck or shank piece construction therefor.

My invention concerns itself with the problem of making womens shoes, and particularly the sling type shoe. Known to me in the latter type of construction is the production of the shoe to include a tuck or shank reinforcing supporting assembly which is positioned between the outsole and the liner or insole, comprising a stilfener as a carrier, to which a metal shank reinforcement is applied, and which is edged by an edging, binding strip visible in the open heel as a layer between the insole or liner and the outsole. The production of such a tuck or shank piece and its assembly in the shoe involves the costly operation of edging, as well as to lead to a cumbersome or awkward and heavy appearance in exposing the edging between the insole or liner and the outsole.

The finished edging likewise places a limitation on the perfection of alignment with the outsole and the matching of the color or the edging or binding with the finish of the heel and the upper. Likewise, the inexibility of' the tuck or shank piece at peripheral edges limits or makes unnecessarily burdensome the shaping of the assembly of outsole, tuck or shank reinforcement, to secure the desired rigidity inthe shank, while obtaining maximum uniformity and accuracy. l

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a womans shoe, particularly a flexible womans shoe and still more particularly, an open heel or sling type of shoe which is pleasing in appearance, simplies manufacturing operations and effects substantial economies in production, characterized by the provision of a novel tuck or shank piece and a method of assembling the same in a shoe, especially of the open heel or sling type construction involving the provision of a tuck or shank piece and assembly thereof, having a feathered peripheral edge adjacent to and along the back of the heel, whereby in assembling the same with the outsole, the heel back may be consolidated with the outsole and in the assembly, the edge of the tuck or shank piece is made to vanish or blend into the edge of the outsole, to conform readily thereto in the assembly operation, and where embodied in an open heel or sling type shoe, be united at its peripheral edge as part of the sewing of the upper to the outsole; and still more particularly, the provision of a tuck including a shouldered 2 v or slotted edge which serves as a guide for joining the contiguous edge of the upper adjacent' the open heeled portion, leadingto moreV accurate sewing operations and uniformity of appearance and t of the resultant shoe.' r'- My invention more particularlyV has Vfor its object the provision of a' noveltuck or shank piece and a shoe embodying thefsa'me, leading to the production of a more aesthetic appearance, especially in the production vof 'ai iiexible,sling type or open heel womans shoe.`

To attain these objects and such-further objects as may appear herein or be hereinafter pointed out, I make reference to the accompanying drawing forming a part hereof', in

WhCh l1 l Figure 1 is a perspective view :of va tuck or shank piece in accordanceV with my invention, looking from the lower face thereof;

Figure 2 is a perspective view` ofthe same, with the shank reinforcement outlined there- Figure 3 is a perspective View of the sole assembly and tuck or shank piece. embodyingmy invention; f

Figure 4 is a section'taken on'the line 4 4 ofFigureB; L

Figure 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of the sole assembly at the initial .stage of attachment of the upper:

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the assembled shoe before applying the linergf Figure 7 is a section on the line xl-l of Figure 6, with the liner applied in-position.

summarizing my invention,A it involves the provision of aV novel tuckor shank piece and method of making flexible womens shoes, particularly the open heel orsling type shoe, wherein I provide a heel back, to theI tuckv or shank piece skived or beveled to a feathergedge so that it, and particularly the shank reinforcement, may be integrated into the outsole, to eliminate the clumsy and awkwardappearance at the back of the heel of the outsole, especially Where visible through the open heel `portion of the shoe, and Where assembled with a flexible sole, conform the assembly to secure `a high degree of support, and in the assembly of the shoe, providing a more secure integration of the tuck or shank piece and by forming slotted or shouldered sides, acting as a guide in performing the stitching operationof the upper and securing` uniformity of the shoe assembly.

Making reference tothe drawing, I show a tuck or shank piece l0 made of material such as stiffened fibre board, vulcanized board, integrated with impregnating agents to provide stiffness and toughness. The shank II thereof extends substantially unmodified toward the sole end I2 and is skived in the usual manner at I3. The heel end I4 is perpherally skived or beveled at I5, to providea feather edge I6 along the sides and back of the. heel. I prefer that the sides I1 and' I8' ofthe shank portion merge into the thickened portion of the heel, with the beveled edge I forming shoulders I9 and 20, preferably sharply undercut at the corners 2I and 22, to provide an acute angle that is which may be 90 or less than 90. With this construction provided, there is stapled or otherwise aihxed the shank stiener 23 which extends from the edge I3 to adjacent the heel portion I4, as will be recognized by those skilled in the art, the procedure of attachment bowing the assembly of shank stiifener and tuck or shank piece into approxhnately' the` desired`r arch supporting contour.

The tuck' assembly illustrated in `Figure 2 is thereupon used for'attachment to the sole assembly shown in F'igure` 3 wherein, an outsole 24 has superimposed thereon the insole 25. The outsole maybe a: composition soling material, suchas rubber,` and theinsole may, be a compositionicork. Other materials will readily suggest themselves to these skilledA in the art.v The partial insole 25 is adhesively' attached to the outsole, to leave theledge 26 over the outsole 24.

Aligned with the insole,` the tuck or shank piece is positionedtooverlay the. edge I3 over the insole. and to conformi the. heel edge I6 to the heel edge of the outsole. In this position, the rows of stitches" 28 and 29 are applied to 'unite the tuck or shank piece I0 tothe outsole 24. The shaping pressure during sewing conforms the edge I6 to the heel edge 21.l The cutout or shoulders I9 and 20 provide a ledge 36 continuous with the ledge 26 of the vamp portion of the shoe.k Staples: 3| may be' used further to intimately unite the tuckv or shank piece with the sole adjacent the heel portion I4 of the tuck or shankrpiece, the'A stapling operation being accompanied by an application of an adhesivein the interface between the. tuck` or shank piece I9 and the sole` 24, to integrate the edges, to the point where the feather edge is barely discernible.

With a sole assembly provided as shown Yin Figure 3, where an operi.v toe sling type shoe is to be made, a patch' 32Lwhose facing' conforms to the upper is attached atV the toe bythe row of stitches 33 and the" patch adhesively united toV the insole 25. Thereupon the upper may be stitched to the sole assembly. For this purpose the upper 34` is attached to provide an outturned' upper by stitching. For this purpose the sling edges 35, 35 are aligned with the shoulders I9 and 2l] to. abutv the same, with therows of stitches 31 and` 38 for forming the outturned stitching operation:v extending Ato overlap the shouldersv I9 and 20', anchoring the edge I9 adjacent the shoulders I9 and 2U to the outsole as well as anchoring the out-turned edges 39 and 40 ofthe upper to the ledge portions of the sole, previously described.

With this step accomplished, the edge 2l'y of the sole may betrimmedfbuffed or otherwise treated with the tuck or shank piece attached thereto, without any special care, and the sole 'and upper assembly may then bev attached to the heel 4I by the nails 42 inl the usual manner.

Thereupon the liner 43 is overlayed, interposing preferably a heel cushion of foam rubber, felt or the like. The liner is formed with a shank portion 44, outlining shoulder portions 45 and 46, adjacent the heel portion 41. The heel portion is cut to conform to the heel assembly 21 and is accurately laid in the congruent position by abutting the shoulders 45 Iand 46 adjacent the edges 35 and 36, respectively, of the upper. The conforming relationship of the shoulders I9 and 26 of the tuck or shank piece to the upper permits the liner to be cemented or otherwise attached in position in conforming relationship, covering unsightly gaps and providing a neat and highly pleasing appearance by reason of the flush relationship of the shoulders I9 and 29 and the edges 35 and 36 contiguous to the sole.

By reason of the provision of the tuck or shank piece as described, and the method of assembly as described, a highly aesthetic shoe assembly, particularly of the sling type or open heel type, is provided, and substantialv economies are elfected in that the cost and expense of binding the tuck or shank piece to conform to the finish of the heel or upper are avoided. The flexibility of the tuck or shank piece adjacent the edge I5 permits a shaping of the assembly of stilener 23 with the tuck or shank piece I9 and sole 24, to the concave contour of the heel with great facility, to add strength at the shank of the shoe without sacrificing the desirable yieldable characteristics of the material chosen for making the sole.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

A shank piece for sling type shoes having an outturned upper comprising a heel end portion and a shank portion, the heel end portion adjacent the back being peripherally skived to substantially a feather edge along the sides and back thereof, the shank portion being inwardly stepped throughout the thickness of the shank piece from the peripheral edges of the heel portion at each side to an abrupt butt edge outlining shouldered ledges adjacent each side of the heel portion, said stepped ledges having the shouldered ledges each forming an acute angle with the side of the shank, the sides of the shank forming butt edges for the full thickness thereof, the ledges being extended to take stitches to each side of the shank coterminously with the outturned upper and the butt edges of the sides of the shank each forming shoulders for the outturned upper to be pressed against the same.

LOUIS BECKERMAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patentz,

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

